Persian Empire

Persian Empire

The Fast of Esther

תַּעֲנִית אֶסְתֵּר‎

Torah reference: Megillat Esther, the biblical Book of Esther, which is the last of the 24 books of the Tanach.

When it began:

The Fast of Esther commemorates the three-day fast observed by the Jewish people in the story of Purim, as Esther requested, before she approached King Ahasuerus (Achashverosh) to save her people.

How it’s observed today:

The Fast of Esther is a same day fast from morning to nightfall, the day before Purim. Since it is a minor fast, it is considered a more lenient one and those who are weak or ill do not fast. If the date of the Fast of Esther falls on Shabbat, the fast is instead observed on the preceding Thursday.